Russian soldiers in Armenia march to areas of Interaction 2017 military drills - Southern Military District
MOSCOW. Oct 9 (Interfax) - The units of the Russian military base of the Southern Military District in Armenia have completed a 100 km-long march following a training alert to the areas where the Interaction 2017 joint drills of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will take place.
"Over 800 servicemen from the artillery, air defense, motorized infantry, reconnaissance, and tanks units with some 200 units of military hardware marched to two firing ranges: the Armenian Armed Forces' Bagramyan and the Alagyaz firing range of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation," the Southern Military District's press service said in a statement obtained by Interfax on Monday.
The march was conducted at nighttime "on broken mountainous terrain, in a scenario involving the hypothetical use by the enemy of weapons of mass destruction," the statement said.
"Russian troops will participate in the joint drills of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of six countries, including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The drills will be conducted on October 9-13 under the command of Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, commander of the Southern Military District troops," the statement said.